Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Owl-Kicker Gets 2 Game Suspension

The soccer player who kicked an injured owl off the field during a match in Colombia has been suspended for two matches and fined the equivalent of $560.

Luis Moreno, a defender for Colombian club Deportivo Pereira, kicked the owl after the injured bird landed in a corner of the field.

Here's the kick that set off an entire owl-loving nation...

The owl died of shock 30 hours later despite treatment at a local veterinary clinic.

The owl served as the unofficial mascot for Colombian club Atletico Junior, which defeated Pereira 2-1 over the weekend. Moreno apologized and said he was only trying to get the bird off the field and did not know it was a team mascot.

By punting it... right...

"This animal was a symbol for the fans from Barranquilla," Colombian officials said in a statement. "Given that the aggressive act took place in their home stadium and in the clear view of all the fans, this act can be legitimately interpreted as provocative."